What Is Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) Housing in BC, and How Is Rent Calculated?

What rent-geared-to-income means

Rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing means your rent is set from your household income, not from the private market rate for the unit.

In most BC Housing Registry RGI homes, rent is about 30% of your gross household income. Gross means before tax and household income means every adult who will live in the home, all added together.

If your income goes up, your rent can go up and if it goes down, your rent can go down. The housing operator recalculates your rent from your income, not from what a similar suite rents for on the market.

Browse rent-geared-to-income programs in BC ->.

How RGI differs from below-market and rent supplements

These three paths sound similar when you're searching for affordable housing, but they're not the same.

RGI (usually through the BC Housing Registry)

• You apply for a subsidised unit
• Rent is about 30% of your gross income
• You must be under your region's Housing Income Limit (HIL) for the bedroom size you need
• Waitlists in major cities are often measured in years

Below-market rental

• Rent is a fixed discount below the local market average, often about 10% to 20% lower
• Rent does not move up and down with your paycheque the way RGI does
• Income bands are often higher than HIL ceilings (BC Builds is the clearest example)

Rent supplements (SAFER, RAP, CBCHB)

• You keep a private rental
• The program pays a monthly top-up toward that rent
• You do not get placed in a subsidised unit

If you want the full split between Registry waitlists and below-market applications, read BC Housing Registry vs Below-Market Housing ->.

How RGI rent is calculated

The basic formula most renters need:

1. Take your annual gross household income
2. Divide by 12 to get monthly gross income
3. Multiply by 0.30 (30%)

That estimate is what people mean when they say "about 30% of income." Housing providers still confirm the final amount when you are offered a unit. Some buildings use BC Housing's rent scale with small adjustments for utilities or other charges, so treat 30% as the planning number, not a confirmed and signed lease.

An example: $48,000 gross income in Vancouver

Maria earns $48,000 a year before tax and she needs a one-bedroom in the Vancouver area.

Step 1: Check if she clears the income limit

• Vancouver area HIL for a one-bedroom: $58,000 a year (effective December 2025)
• Maria's $48,000 is under that ceiling, so she qualifies on income

Step 2: Calculate RGI rent

• $48,000 / 12 = $4,000 a month gross
• 30% of $4,000 = $1,200 a month

Step 3: Compare to market rent

• CMHC average one-bedroom rent in the Vancouver area: $1,807 a month (October 2025)
• Gap: about $607 a month less than market

That gap is the point of RGI. The income limit decides whether you can get in. The 30% rule decides what you pay if you do.

What those same numbers look like in Victoria and Kelowna

One-bedroom Housing Income Limits (December 2025):

• Vancouver area: $58,000
• Victoria area: $50,000
• Kelowna area: $49,500

CMHC average one-bedroom rents (October 2025):

• Vancouver area: $1,807
• Victoria area: $1,624
• Kelowna area: $1,597

If Maria's $48,000 income and $1,200 RGI rent moved to another city, the income test still passes in Victoria and Kelowna. The market comparison changes:

• Victoria: $1,200 RGI vs $1,624 market (about $424 a month less)
• Kelowna: $1,200 RGI vs $1,597 market (about $397 a month less)

The rent formula stays the same and the value of that rent against local market rent does not.

What else usually applies before you get an RGI unit

Typical Registry RGI rules include:

• Age 19 or older
• Gross household income under the HIL for your region and bedroom size
• Household assets under $100,000 in many Registry streams
• Citizenship, permanent residency, or other accepted immigration status
• A long wait in high-demand cities after you apply

There are also senior (55+) and disability priority streams inside the same RGI system and those still use regional HILs and the same basic rent approach. They are not the same as Shelter Aid For Elderly Renters (SAFER), which is a rent supplement for people 60 and over in a private rental.

Full HIL tables by region and bedroom size are in Affordable Housing Income Limits in BC ->.

Limits vs rent: how to use both numbers

Use the two numbers in order:

1. Income limit (HIL): Can you apply for RGI in this city and bedroom size?
2. 30% rent estimate: If you got a unit tomorrow, what would you roughly pay each month?

Example at the Vancouver one-bedroom ceiling:

• Income: $58,000
• Monthly gross: about $4,833
• Estimated RGI rent: about $1,450
• Vancouver market average: $1,807
• Gap: about $357 a month

Even at the top of the eligible band, RGI still sits below the October 2025 market average in Vancouver. Below-market and BC Builds serve different income bands and set rent differently, s do not assume one rent number covers every program.

What to do next

1. Estimate your RGI rent with the 30% formula above.
2. Check your city's HIL for the bedroom size you need.
3. Browse rent-geared-to-income programs -> and decide whether Registry RGI, below-market ->, or a rent supplement -> fits better.
4. If you are unsure which applies, take the Rentable eligibility quiz ->.

Take the Rentable quiz to see if RGI, below-market, or a supplement fits ->

Data sources: BC Housing Housing Income Limits, effective December 2025 (Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna one-bedroom ceilings from Rentable schema reference data). CMHC Rental Market Survey average rents, October 2025. BC Housing Registry RGI program rules, including the approximate 30% rent scale and $100,000 asset test on many streams, verified in Rentable catalog data May 2026. Eligibility is confirmed at the time of application. Rules and income limits change. Check with the program directly before applying.